Yes, you read that correctly –
A lesson FROM my two year old, not a lesson FOR my two year old.
Whenever something isn’t working right, our little two year old guy brings it to us saying it is ‘boke’ and to ‘fi it’ (translations: “Broke.” and “Fix it.”) Often it is a toy that needs the batteries replaced. Today, I specifically remember him saying that two times, but not for toys. This morning, he pointed to one of our lights in the kitchen. It has burnt out and needs replaced. He wanted me to turn it on and I told him that it couldn’t be turned on because it was broke. He quickly replied back, “Ba rees!”. I tried to explain that it didn’t take batteries to fix it, but that we needed a new lightbulb. I don’t think he quite got it. Anyway, tonight, at church, he was in the nursing room with me and his baby sister when he noticed that there was a TV. (We are blessed at our church to have a nursing room with a TV hooked up so that nursing moms can still watch and hear the sermon on Sunday mornings while they care for their littlest ones .) Well, you guessed it, the TV has not been working for a couple weeks. I told him it was broke and he thought we could ‘fi it’ with ‘ba rees!’ Too cute.
While I was thinking about this tonight, I thought, ‘Wow. Wouldn’t it be great if we could fix everything with batteries? Just switch out the old batteries when they are used up and replace them with new?’ I don’t know about you, but as a stay at home mom to four little ones five and under, I am feeling like my ‘batteries’ are pretty worn down right now. I see it. I feel it. I hear it in my voice. I’m tired and at the end of my energy.
But wait! Whose strength am I relying on? Whose ‘batteries’ have been charging me to get up and go each morning (and to keep going throughout the day and into the night)? Hmmm. I have been doing lots of ‘good’ things that do indeed have to get done for my family or for church, but I have not been making time for what I know I need first thing each and every day in order to complete them to the best of my ability and for the glory of the Lord. If I am honest, I would have to say that I have been lax in my time spent with God each day – the Source of my strength. I need to go make a point to read, and pray, and fall at my Savior’s feet.
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31